Mass. panel rejects effort to trim movies tax break

The Republican file photoActor Mel Gibson, looks over a balcony of the Hampshire County Courthouse in Northampton during a pause in the filming of "Edge of Darkness. A Massachusetts made film.

BOSTON — A key legislative committee has unanimously rejected a bill that would have drastically cut the state's tax credit for the film industry.

The Revenue Committee voted 8-0 on Thursday to reject a bill introduced by state Rep. Steven D'Amico that would have cut the credit to a maximum of $7 million per movie. Gov. Deval Patrick proposal to cut the tax credit to $50 million per year for the next two years was not acted on.

Supporters of the incentive say it has brought some Hollywood glitz to Massachusetts, created thousands of jobs and generated hundreds of millions of dollars in spending.

D'Amico, a Seekonk Democrat, and other opponents of the measure says the state shouldn't be offering big tax giveaways while education, and other important programs are being trimmed.